PARENT SESSION
SA8 - PCB Fate and Effects in the Housatonic River
Chair: Moore, Dwayne1, 1 411 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 204, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Co-chair: Svirsky, Susan2, Jenkins, Ken3, 2 1 Congress St., Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts, USA3 Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc., Long Beach, CA
8:00 AM to 12:00 PM - Sunday, 17 November 2002
Room Ballroom C
(074) Reproductive and Developmental Dysfunction in Native Rana sp. Evaluated from the Lower Housatonic River Ecosystem.
Fort, Douglas*,1, Rogers, Robert1, McLaughlin, Daniel1, Langford, Francesca2, Read, Lorraine3, 1 Fort Environmental Laboratories, Stillwater, OK, USA2 EVS Environmental Consultants, North Vancouver, BC, USA3 TerraStat Consulting Group, Everett, WA, USA
ABSTRACT- The Environmental Protection Agency is evaluating the risks of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to ecological receptors, including native amphibian species, in the Lower Housatonic River and adjacent floodplains below Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Two separate amphibian studies were performed to support this risk assessment. The first study was designed to evaluate reproductive fitness of adult female and male Rana pipiens collected from an external reference location and 9 target sites containing varying PCB levels. Reproductive and developmental endpoints were evaluated and artificial fertilization studies were attempted. Results from these studies indicated that adult R. pipiens collected from the varying sampling locations throughout the study area showed marked signs of reproductive stress. In addition, because artificial fertilization attempts failed, egg masses were field-collected for laboratory culture in representative sediment and water. Larvae resulting from these egg masses showed significant developmental stress. The second study was designed to complement the R. pipiens study, by collecting additional amphibian developmental effects data from the study area. Rana sylvatica of various life stages were collected from nine targets sites and three reference sites. In Phase 1, R. sylvatica egg masses were collected in the field and cultured in the laboratory under simulated vernal pool conditions and observed through metamorphosis. In Phase 2, R. sylvatica larvae were collected and evaluated for physical abnormalities at four different developmental stages through prometamorphosis. Phase 3 involved examination of recently metamorphosed specimens. Each of the specimens collected were examined for physical abnormalities. Results from this study indicated that although no adverse effects on egg mass fecundity (including hatching) were detected, abnormal development occurred in site specimens; that both embryo-larval exposure to sediments and maternal transfer of PCBs were involved in inducing abnormal development; and that there were skewed sex ratios toward female metamorphs in several of the sites. Results from these studies suggest that these two species showed reproductive and developmental stress.
Key words: Amphibians, Housatonic River, Reproduction and Development, ERA